Leaving No Trace | Attack of the Fire Nation | Livestreaming For Whales
- Runaway Goldfish
- Jun 9
- 5 min read
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New Masters Village Roadtrip
Now on BlueSky!
Its been over a year since my last update and so much has happened. World news chaos had myself and everyone else on edge and made start to question parts of my career. I find that traveling, even when scared, has been the best way to regroup and reground myself. In September of last year I decided to take a road trip to Colorado to attend an artist where myself and other artists from all over the world could connect with nature, each other and push the bounds of our abilities as artists. I have no regrets. Sometimes its essential to be placed among strangers to remind ourselves how small our world can be. I'm posting small snippets on my BlueSky but if you want a more in depth exploration of my trip, feel free to visit me on Patreon. For only $1 a month you have full access to what is essentially my artist diary.
My Latest Post:
Building My Portfolio - Finding My Artistic Voice
When I last posted, I had gone on a bit of a rant about my conflict I've had with mentors and the impact of rejection. I'm happy to say that as I've kept trekking forward and stayed true to the grind I've continued to make art despite the setbacks. It feels good back looking back because for awhile I was worried that it would take me longer to find myself in my art again. But as of lately I'm noticing to see a stylization of mine emerge. This has me excited because when you're first beginning, the ability to match what you see in your head feels so far away and it feels good to see the hours of practice come to fruition. There are so many days where it feels impossible to show up for myself whether it was an internal or external battle I was facing but the dopamine of seeing results that even my own self critic can be proud of is very satisfying.
Link to Cara: https://cara.app/runawaygoldfish
Expanding Demographics and Outdoor Markets
Gaining more experience as a vendor, I'm able to collect enough data to recognize patterns, trends and what does and does not work for me. I think its amazing that a post COVID world has pushed more people to create art but that has also meant that certain circles in the art world are more competitive than ever. I try my best to keep the mindset of abundance and to take my own advice of never being afraid of jumping my Fishbowl. As the anime convention scene gets more difficult to enter (but not impossible) I've been working on expanding my network and doing more festivals and other similar outdoor markets. This means making more art for a general audience but on the plus side this has given me more permission to finally be more free to do original work. This also means being more intentional about the aesthetics and coming up with different strategies to make my booth more memorable and fun. Funnily enough, not that long ago, I wanted to quit doing markets for how exhausting they can be. This statement is still true. But I've also learned that as I gain experience and practice from setup/take down and set more systems in place to stay organized, they have become less daunting. I've gotten to the point where even though it is still hard work, I have been able to run a booth by myself for a whole weekend. As more opportunities come my way I hope that I can maintain that momentum and start to really find my people who also seem themselves in my work.
Leave No Trace
Progressing through the world as an artist on the internet is a constant battle of ethics and risks when sharing parts of yourself whether its art, opinions or memories. Since I've last addressed this topic, my feelings haven't changed and has me skeptical but more thoughtful moving forward.
As someone who is passionate and inspired by nature I feel frustrated that everyday I'm faced with the erasure of the very things that bring me joy. It also is terrifying that as these spaces become deleted from our visual library. It becomes replaced by pixels in our hand forcing us to question the authenticity of all things that cross our path. This disconnection is very concerning.
One of the reasons I wanted to share my art to begin with is to help bring the beauty of nature to people who can't normally access it and I feel this responsibility now more than ever. Maybe it's okay that I don't commodify my art in every online space. Maybe, like in nature, it's better to just leave it greener than it was before.
FIND ME ON TIKTOK!
Here's my latest post:
Sakura Con 2025
Even though the world felt like it was burning (which would soon foreshadow what was to come) it was time to put my existentialism aside and get my head in the game for Sakura Con. I had my checklist ready, everything was packed, had my outfits planned and was ready to put everything into this opportunity. Although it's been over a year since my first time at Sakura Con, it's fun to go back and reflect on the experience.
It's finally done!
If you've been keeping up with my journey, you'll know Austin of Gfy95 and I have been hard at work expanding the Gee universe on another project. Years later, it's finally finished! All there's left now is assembly, last touches on the graphics and to wait patiently. If you aren't familiar with the Gee universe please take a look at this short animation based on one of the two children's books that we had put together. If you are also interested in building your own world, visit me here to learn more! To explore more about this project, please visit Austin's Instagram which is posted below! In the meantime, you can continue to enjoy our animation! :)
my project with @Gfy95 is still in session
so Be sure to follow his Instagram to stay up to date!
Livestreaming for the Whales
I learned something interesting on the internet. Apparently some brains experience dysfunction towards a task when it doesn't align with their passions and I'm starting to learn that I may be one of those brains.
Remember when I said how I didn't really want to stream anymore? Well I'm starting to think it's a little different when I feel like me streaming has a purpose outside of just showing people my art. I feel like that I'm really starting to find my North star. So, of course, during my birthday week Games for Whales is hosting an event in support of whale and dolphin conservation. This is a cause I can get behind.
Although this isn't quite official yet, this is something I have plans to participate in. This event is really lighting a fire in me and has me a little more motivated than usual but if for whatever reason the stars don't align for this event and you find yourself on Twitch that weekend, I encourage you to find a streamer who is.
UPDATE: Looks like I'll be streaming folks >:) Tune in Wednesday, June 10th, 2026 from 12PM to 4PM PST.
See you there!
Follow me on Twitch! Twitch.tv/goldfishglub
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